March 4, 1944

Dear Folks: March 4
Has been cold all week. The sun shown part of the time but the wind blew hard and had a few snow flurries to-day. We were issued a “battle” jacket this week. It is made like that gabberdine jacket I gave Arlan. It is wool and lined and grayish brown in color. It has buttons instead of a zipper but a flap buttons over the front, using the same buttons as front and it is very warm. Also got an issued pair of 4-buckle overshoes with black cloth tops like ones we used to get years ago. Since putting the winter underwear on I can’t button the top 3 buttons of my pants since they were fitted in the summer.
Am reading a book, “Fairwell To Arms”. Ha! We get a 2 sheet paper “Stars and Stripes”. Published daily by U.S. Army and has a lot of news in it. Also get weekly magazine “Yank” another Army publication. Arlan can buy it for 5¢ at the PX. Got a letter from Arlan saying he & Elliot were going to the Vet. school. Sounds pretty good. Also got Jo’s cake. Tell her thanks. It was fruit cake so wasn’t dry. I’ll write her again soon. Also got Aunt Hattie’s cookies & Marvel Lee’s tooth powder. Got another tetnus shot to-day! Not much doing to write about — Yours truly,
John
Got your V mail to-day of Feb 21

Note, a change [A.P.O.] 140
Mar 4
Dear Chris & Jo: Windy and warm to-day after a rain last nite that made things a little messy. The rain makes a noise on our tin roof. I just got back from London again. It may seem to you I spend most of my time in London but it isn’t so! We get a 48 hr. pass every so often and thats about all I can write about. That was the 3rd trip. I went to a good movie: “Madame Curie”.
We have a nice officer’s club on the field. Soft chairs, hot fire, and radio. Nice place to relax and read. Things are greening up around here. Hope your place is getting straightened up somewhat. Thanks for the valentine. See your address has changed. Who lives on our old place? Is your barn or other out buildings wired? Your last letter was Mar. 12. You probably got my letter saying the cake got here in good shape. Since when did Kansas have a duck season in March??? There’s an open season over here right now and we are the ducks. Ha! I know what a duck feels like now — only a poor old duck doesn’t have any armor plate under his fanny. Horridge got a package yesterday addressed to him at Godman & contained a telescoping device to keep track of his baby’s (7 month old) height! Was a Christmas present. Wished it was cookies. {Not a hint
Yours truly,
John